I guess it's getting to be that time of year... Rough Trade Shop's Best of 2010 list is below (though note that Rough Trade Records is owned by Beggars now, and there may still be some connection to Rough Trade Shops too, so though the list is pretty kick ass, it is potentially biased... for instance Gil Scott-Heron's record which is #2 on the list came out on XL Recordings which is also part of Beggars... not that i doubt they mean it... and it would be impossible to have a list without Beggars releases on it... anyway, check it out)....UPDATE:

"Just for the sake of clarity- rough trade shop is totally separate from the label, which is, as you pointed out, is owned by beggars banquet. the shops were sold to staff when that happened." [says anon | November 16, 2010 5:00 PM]

UPDATE 2: A non-anonymous Beggars source also says they are "separate", and points out this line from Wikipedia as well: "In 1982 the two separated and the shop remains an independent entity from the label, although links between the two are strong."

This list is a joke and is clear confirmation that the Rough Trade Shop is still very much a part of the Beggars/XL/Rough Trade label somehow otherwise so many of their shitty artists wouldn't have made the list...

You guys are idiots. Rough Trade Records and the Rough Trade Shops have been separate legal and business entities since the early 1980s. Furthermore, when Rough Trade Records went under in 1991, the shop stayed open. While there may be a conflict of interest, there is no concrete business relationship.

Don't necessarily agree with the order of things (with the exception of Caribou, which probably deserves to be #1 of any list this year), but I doubt this will be any worse than any other Top Albums of the Year list. There's actually a lot of good stuff up there. Just wait until the print magazines drop their irrelevant turds of lists...

on an unrelated note - anyone know anything about the early 80s NYC band China Shop? they were loosely tied to the No Wave scene. Just heard their amazing song Kowtow on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0SS1bUrZNA

Sleigh Bells is really fun. Sorry if this isn't deep, but it's great to work out to. (I'm SO on the wrong website, huh.)

Holly Miranda is pretty slow at first listen, and there's no one *great song,* but the album overall is greater than the sum of its parts. The songs all work together to create a world. I'd recommend if you like poetry.